Wheelchair-bound man accused in Alaska Walmart shooting

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, March 19 (Reuters) - A wheelchair-bounddouble amputee has been charged with shooting and criticallywounding an Alaska Walmart manager over a disagreement about aservice dog.

Daniel Pirtle, 45, was caught while attempting to flee theAnchorage store on his motorized wheelchair, according to policereports about the Saturday incident.

He was charged with first-degree assault and weaponsmisconduct, and on Tuesday declined a public defender, tellingthe judge that he preferred to represent himself. "I know how todo that," he said at the pre-indictment hearing.

The shooting left Jason Mahi, 33, in critical condition at alocal hospital, a family member said.

The dispute was over a service dog used by Pirtle, accordingto police reports. Mahi was shot in the abdomen after he askedPirtle to leash the dog. An off-duty police officer shopping atthe store detained the wheelchair-riding Pirtle, according topolice reports.

Pirtle had two pistols with him at the store, and lateradmitted to detectives that he had shot Mahi, according to aninformation report filed by the local district attorney.

Mahi's brother, Brandon Mahi, said the victim remainedunconscious on Tuesday. "We're just praying every day," BrandonMahi said after Pirtle's brief court appearance.

He said the family is upset that Walmart continued to dobusiness after the shooting. "They just kept running likenothing even happened," he said.

A spokeswoman at the Walmart store declined to comment,referring questions to the corporate media office. No officialsat the corporate headquarters were immediately available onTuesday to comment.

Although police secured the shooting scene on Saturday, thestore did not close after the incident, said Anita Shell, aspokeswoman for the Anchorage Police Department.

If Mahi dies, murder charges will be added, said AnitaShell, a spokeswoman for the Anchorage Police Department.